Seeing others - seeing ourselves.
The story of St. Christopher
Today’s homily begins in Townsville. Jeanine and I went along to the local aeroplane/war museum. It was an interesting little show and we were greeted warmly and shown around.
There was however a rather curious exchange when our guide said something like.
‘It was a near run thing you know. Our lads conquered the enemy and that’s why we, Thank goodness, all speak the Queen’s English instead of some other language.’ That’s Fr. David understating it a bit and being very polite. Our guide was a little more forthright and not quite as guarded with his words.
And I wanted so much to say…
Well, you’ll have to wait till the end of the homily to find out what I wanted to say.
I’m aware of a number of folk in this parish who travel during the winter months and I am also aware that a number of people know of St. Christopher who is the Patron saint of all travellers. So I thought it might be worth just digging into his life and having a look at him.
Christopher actually began his life as Reprobus. This name means outcast and there is a sense in which he was very much an outcast. He was a big muscly guy built like an outside brick building. Solid as. Imagine the sergeant at arms for a Motorcycle club. You didn’t mess with Reprobus. He was also a thief and a robber and he wanted to align himself with the most powerful and influential person. At first, he believed this was the devil—but he eventually came to believe that Christ was the greatest of all princes. After being instructed in the Christian Faith by a hermit, he was baptized and given the name Christophorus which means Christ-bearer.
The hermit who had instructed Christopher gave him the task of carrying travellers across a local river—a job easily done because of his great size and strength. One day, he began to help a child to cross the river, carrying the boy on his shoulders, when he began to feel a weight so great that he was bowed down by it. Once they reached the other side, the child said to Christopher: “Don’t be surprised, Christopher! You were not only carrying the whole world, you had him who created the world upon your shoulders! I am Christ your King, to whom you render service by doing the work you do here.”
Christopher bore Christ in four ways, namely, on his shoulders when he carried him across the river, in his body by mortification, in his mind by devotion, and in his mouth by confessing Christ and preaching him.”
According to the legend, Christopher went on to bring many to Christ. He was eventually martyred during the reign of Emperor Decius, sometime between 249 and 251.
Although the details of his life are pretty sketchy we actually know all that we need to. He carried Christ into the world. And, in this sense, every Christian is a “Christopher” who carries Christ in their hearts, making him present through our acts of kindness and love. The presence of Christ within us is the great gift of the Sacrament of Baptism and it is nurtured through the gift of the Eucharist.
So while we don’t actually know a lot about St. Christopher then, does that matter… really?
And here I return to that little conversation in Townsville.
What I wanted to say to my friend was this.
“Would I be any less of a person if I happened to speak another language? Would I somehow be inferior, or damaged or wicked?”
Surely when we reflect on St. Christopher’s life it was not about how he was built, or the language he spoke, or the culture he grew up in. It is not about whether St. Christopher is remembered for 200 years and whether Fr. David is remembered for 60 years. It was not about how St. Christopher started his life but how he completed it. It is and was how he served others. It was and is very much about how God sees him. And that is the real sticking point. It is not about how we see others, or how we see ourselves, it is about how God sees the person in front of us and it is very much about how God sees us.
The legend of St. Christopher not knowing who he was truly carrying says it all. We carry and serve the living Christ in every encounter, every conversation and every action, even in the little children and least likely.
A prayer for St. Christopher to finish.
O Glorious St. Christopher you have inherited a beautiful name, Christ-bearer,
as a result of the wonderful legend that while carrying people across a raging stream
you also carried the Child Jesus. Teach us to be true Christ-bearers to everyone.
Protect all of us that travel both near and far and ask the Lord Jesus to be with us always.
Amen